Friday, December 29, 2017

I remember writing some months ago that I drank with Roswell Rudd and his "old lady" years ago in the old 55 -- a dive bar owned by Brad Cunningham. Mr. Rudd was then playing at Nicks with Wilbur DeParis -- playing Dixieland to keep body and soul together. He was very frustrated, wanting to move forward. After many years he did, playing all sorts of music -- including a lot of very avant-garde Jazz. He received a lot of critical acclaim.

He died recently. Nice obit in thr N.Y. Times, as befitting a master musician. His like will be missed. A really good guy, a fine musician -- and an old drinking buddy from a time long ago and far away. All blessings on Mr. Rudd and his family from a big fan.

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Christianity has died in the hands of Evangelicals. Evangelicalism
ceased being a religious faith tradition following Jesus’ teachings
concerning justice for the betterment of humanity when it made a
Faustian bargain for the sake of political influence. The beauty of the
gospel message — of love, of peace and of fraternity — has been murdered
by the ambitions of Trumpish flimflammers who have sold their souls for
expediency. No greater proof is needed of the death of Christianity
than the rush to defend a child molester in order to maintain a majority in the U.S. Senate.
Evangelicals have constructed an exclusive interpretation which fuses
and confuses white supremacy with salvation. Only those from the
dominant culture, along with their supposed inferiors who with colonized
minds embrace assimilation, can be saved. But their salvation damns
Jesus. To save Jesus from those claiming to be his heirs, we must wrench
him from the hands of those who use him as a façade from which to hide
their phobias — their fear of blacks, their fear of the undocumented,
their fear of Muslims, their fear of everything queer.
Evangelicalism has ceased to be a faith perspective rooted on Jesus
the Christ and has become a political movement whose beliefs repudiate
all Jesus advocated. A message of hate permeates their pronouncements,
evident in sulphurous proclamations like the Nashville Statement,
which elevates centuries of sexual dysfunctionalities since the days of
Augustine by imposing them upon Holy Writ. They condemn as sin those
who express love outside the evangelical anti-body straight jacket.
Evangelicalism’s unholy marriage to the Prosperity Gospel
justifies multi-millionaire bilkers wearing holy vestments made of
sheep’s clothing who discovered being profiteers rather than prophets
delivers an earthly security never promised by the One in whose name
they slaughter those who are hungry, thirsty and naked, and the alien
among them. Christianity at a profit is an abomination before all that
is Holy. From their gilded pedestals erected in white centers of wealth
and power, they gaslight all to believe they are the ones being
persecuted because of their faith.
Evangelicalism’s embrace of a new age of ignorance, blames homosexuality for Harvey’s
rage rather than considering the scientific consequences climate change
has on the number of increasing storms of greater and greater ferocity.
To ignore the damage caused to God’s creation so the few can profit in
raping Mother Earth causes celebrations in the fiery pits of Gehenna.
Evangelicalism forsakes holding a sexual predator, an adulterer, a liar and a racist accountable, instead serving as a shield against those who question POTUS’ immorality because of some warped reincarnation of Cyrus.
Laying holy hands upon the incarnation of the very vices Jesus
condemned to advance a political agenda — instead of rebuking and
chastising in loving prayer — has prostituted the gospel in exchange for
the victory of a Supreme Court pick.
Evangelicalism either remained silent or actually supported
Charlottesville goose steppers because they protect their white
privilege with the doublespeak of preserving heritage, leading them to
equate opponents of fascist movements with the purveyors of hatred.
Jesus has yet recovered from the vomiting induced by the Christian
defenders of torch-wielding white nationalists calling for
“blood-and-soil.”
The Evangelicals’ Jesus is satanic, and those who hustle this demon
are “false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of
Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of
light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as
servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve”
(2 Cor. 11:13-15, NIV).
You might wonder if my condemnation is too harsh. It is not, for the
Spirit of the Lord has convicted me to shout from the mountaintop how
God’s precious children are being devoured by the hatred and bigotry of
those who have positioned themselves as the voice of God in America.
As a young man, I walked down the sawdust aisle at a Southern Baptist
church and gave my heart to Jesus. Besides offering my broken heart, I
also gave my mind to understanding God, and my arm to procuring God’s
call for justice. I have always considered myself to be an evangelical,
but I can no longer allow my name to be tarnished by that political
party masquerading as Christian. Like many women and men of good will
who still struggle to believe, but not in the evangelical political
agenda, I too no longer want or wish to be associated with an ideology
responsible for tearing humanity apart. But if you, dear reader, still
cling to a hate-mongering ideology, may I humbly suggest you get saved.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

One of the most dangerous consequences of this awful period in American life is the denigration of the truth, and of institutions and people who tell it.

There are two kinds of liars – fools and knaves. Fools lie because they don’t know the truth. Knaves lie because they intend to mislead.

Trump is both, because he doesn’t even care enough about the truth to find out what it is. He’ll say whatever he thinks will get people to believe what he wants them to believe.

What about people like Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Trump’s point person on the Republican tax bills now making their way through Congress?

Mnuchin continues to insist that the legislation puts a higher tax burden on people earning more than $1 million a year, and reduce taxes on everyone else. “I can tell you that virtually everybody in the middle class will get a tax cut, and will get a significant tax cut,” Mnuchinsays repeatedly.

But the prestigious Tax Policy Centerconcludesthat by 2027, almost all of the benefits of both bills will have gone to the richest 1 percent, while upper-middle-class payers will pay higher taxes and those at the lower levels will receive only modest benefits.

So is Mnuchin a fool? His career before he became Treasury Secretary doesn’t suggest so. He graduated fromYale, and worked for seventeen years for investment bankGoldman Sachs.

In the age of Trump, even prestigious organizations once considered non-partisan are either “with us” or “against us.”

Problem is, virtually all other studies by every other source show the House and Senate tax bills overwhelmingly benefit the rich and, within a few years, harm the middle class.

Even Congress’s own Joint Committee on Taxation – the House and Senate’s official scorekeeper on tax issues –findsthat the Senate’s version of the bill wouldincreasetaxes on all income groups makingunder$75,000 per year.

By 2027, it would give its biggest tax breaks to those making $1 million or more. The House bill would be evenmore generousto millionaires and billionaires.

Mnuchin’s response? He has none. He just keeps repeating the same lie.

Mnuchin also maintains that the Senate and House tax plans won’t cause the federal deficit to rise. “This isn’t about the deficit,”he said recently. “We’ll create economic growth to pay down the deficit.”

But even the Tax Foundation – a major proponent of the corporate tax cuts –estimatesthe House bill will cause a $1.08 trillion revenue loss over ten years and the Senate bill, a $516 billion loss.

Assuming Mnuchin isn’t a fool, he’s a knave. He intends to deceive the public.

By doing so he has abandoned his duty to the American people inherent in the oath of office taken by every cabinet official, in favor of advancing the goals of his boss and other Republicans in Washington who are desperate to pass their tax bill.

He has also sacrificed his credibility and integrity.

Why? Because he’s Secretary of the Treasury in an administration that has no integrity. Merely by joining Trump, he made a Faustian bargain and lost whatever integrity he might have had.

Recall that after Trump equated white supremacists with protesters in Charlottesville, and several hundred of Mnuchin’s Yale classmates urged him to resign in protest, Mnuchinfound it“hard to believe I should have to defend myself on this, or the president.”

After Trump demanded that NFL owners deal harshly with black athletes protesting police brutality, Mnuchinsaidthe athletes should “do free speech on their own time. This is about respect for the military and first responders in the country.”

Apparently Mnuchin will say anything to retain his power and influence in the Trump administration.

He knows he’ll never have anything close to this power again.

Mnuchin probably figures: So what if he lies about the true consequences of the tax bills? Trump lies about them, too. So does the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, and the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

He probably assumes most of the public will never know he lied. Even those who know will soon forget. In this era of Trumpian big lies, there are no consequences for lying.

But history may not be kind to Steve Mnuchin.

Over the last century, authoritarian and fascist regimes have intentionally and systematically denigrated the truth.

Friday, November 10, 2017

Sorry for being away for so long. I've been having some nagging health problems -- namely "routine cataract surgery" that has turned out not to be so routine after all. When the Dr. says, "we will get you to see as well as we can" when I ask him if I will be able to read again -- it's not comforting. Nor is the fact I'm now told to use these "more aggressive" eye drops that the receptionist said to be "very careful" with == since a refill would be in "the $300.00 range".

I'm just having trouble seeing, reading, typing, etc. I guess old age is just one surprise after another. Now know why they're called "The Golden Years" -- you need a lot of gold to keep on trucking.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

"SEATTLE—Eliciting a standing ovation for the longtime Seahawk’s
cornerback as he gripped his walker and slowly hobbled to midfield, the
NFL conducted a pregame ceremony to honor 52-year-old Ronald Dutton as
the league’s oldest living former player. “Ever since my father retired
in 2002, he has missed being out on the field, and he would like you all
to know how thrilled and excited he is to be honored by you all today,”
said Dutton’s 22-year-old daughter Kayla as the hunched and visibly
confused former Pro Bowler was directed to look into the camera for a
photo-op with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before gingerly attempting
to lift his arm and wave to the roaring crowd. “We would like to thank
the NFL for taking the time to salute their alumni, especially when
those like my father have so little time left. Though as happy as he is
today, I just know he wishes all of his teammates were still alive to be
here with him.” Following the ceremony, Dutton’s family reportedly
returned him to his assisted living home after the Seahawk’s great
drifted to sleep in the stands during the first quarter."

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

All you folks who said, "there's no difference between Clinton and Trump". How do y'all feel now?

All you folks who stayed home on election day because Clinton was not Obama -- how's the current administration affecting y'all now? All you right wing minority folks who voted for Trump -- are you starting to worry, yet? Has the, "Am I next?" thought entered YOUR thoughts yet? It will.

If you just don't care about this stuff ---- you will! The attempted "Nazification" of the USA will end up affecting us ALL. Even those ultra-rich SOB's who know nothing but have (right now) more money that they can possibly spend.

I'm now 78 -- it's not my problem anymore. I'm just sorry all y'all will have to learn the exact same lessons I did --- GOOD LUCK.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

"It is no exaggeration to say that since the 1980s, much of the global
financial sector has become criminalised, creating an industry culture
that tolerates or even encourages systematic fraud. The behaviour that
caused the mortgage bubble and financial crisis of 2008 was a natural
outcome and continuation of this pattern, rather than some kind of
economic accident...And yet none of this conduct has been punished in
any significant way."

Charles Ferguson, Inside Job

“The suspicions that the system is rigged in favor of the largest banks
and their elites, so they play by their own set of rules to the disfavor
of the taxpayers who funded their bailout, are true. It really
happened. These suspicions are valid.”

Neil Barofsky

"The historical evidence is overwhelming. Many societies have done well
for a while – until powerful people get out of hand. This is an easy
pattern to see at a distance and in other cultures. It is typically
much harder to recognize when your own society now has an elite less
subject to effective constraints and more able to exert power in an
abusive fashion. And given the long history of strong institutions in
the United States, it appears particularly difficult for some people to
acknowledge that we have serious governance issues that need to be
addressed."

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Bank failures are creeping up again. The FDIC says "there is no cause for concern" ---- BUT?

Latest is:

United Fidelity Bank, fsb, Evansville, Indiana, Assumes All of the Deposits of Fayette County Bank, Saint Elmo, Illinois

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 26, 2017

FDIC Customer Service Call CenterToll Free - 1-800-930-5172

Fayette County Bank, Saint Elmo, Illinois, was closed today by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation - Division of Banking, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. To protect the depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with United Fidelity Bank, fsb, Evansville, Indiana, to assume all of the deposits of Fayette County Bank.

The sole office of Fayette County Bank will reopen as a branch of United Fidelity Bank during its normal business hours. Depositors of Fayette County Bank will automatically become depositors of United Fidelity Bank. Deposits will continue to be insured by the FDIC, so there is no need for customers to change their banking relationship to retain their deposit insurance coverage up to applicable limits. Customers of Fayette County Bank should continue to use their existing branch until they receive notice from United Fidelity Bank that it has completed systems changes to allow other United Fidelity Bank branches to process their accounts, as well.

This evening and over the weekend, depositors of Fayette County Bank can access their money by writing checks or using ATM or debit cards. Checks drawn on the bank will continue to be processed. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual.

As of March 31, 2017, Fayette County Bank had approximately $34.4 million in total assets and $34.0 million in total deposits. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, United Fidelity Bank agreed to purchase approximately $28.9 million of the failed bank's assets. The FDIC will retain the remaining assets for later disposition.

Customers with questions about the transaction should call the FDIC toll-free at 1-800-930-5172. The phone number will be operational this evening until 9 p.m., Central Time (CT); on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., CT; on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., CT; on Monday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., CT; and thereafter from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., CT. Interested parties also can visit the FDIC's website athttps://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/fayettecounty.html.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $10.0 million. Compared to other alternatives, United Fidelity Bank's acquisition was the least costly resolution for the FDIC's DIF. Fayette County Bank is the sixth FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the second in Illinois. The last FDIC-insured institution closed in the state was Seaway Bank and Trust Company, Chicago, on January 27, 2017.

About Me

I'm just another old woman who has had wide ranging interests for a long time,
These include fishing, shooting, reading, cooking, and all manner of (mostly) left wing politics.
Born and bred in New York - Queens, to be precise - I now live in Texas, another state that folks seem to attack (like N.Y.) without ever having been here.
I'm also a fan of most sports -- esp. baseball, esp. the New York Yankees.
Originally a New York Giants (baseball) fan, I was crushed when they moved. It took many years wandering in the wilderness before I returned to baseball. I's all Wade Boggs fault. When I watched that artist, my love for baseball resurfaced. Since he was then a Yankee -- it had to be the Yankees.
The Mets pretended they had spiritual ties to the old Brooklyn Dodgers - no Giant fan could go there.
I tried - couldn't do it.